The present invention relates, in general, to a transport system for transport of containers, in particular to an airport baggage handling system, and more particularly to a curve section for use in such a transport system.
Airport baggage handling systems are known by which containers or trays travel along a transport path, including curve sections. An example is described in German patent publication DE 197 07 321 A1. The containers are moved and guided by flat conveyor belts which circulate continuously and are routed about deflection rollers. The conveyor belt may also be constructed as toothed belt and bears upon at least one container side in a force-locking or form-fitting manner to provide propulsion of the container.
Oftentimes, the container is advanced to a curve section of the transport system by means of two conveyor belts of a straight conveyor and picked up at the entry to the curve by pairs of rollers which are disposed on an axle to a cone to compensate speed differentials between outer and inner radii of the curve. The outer roller pairs and the incoming belts are normally disposed in spaced-apart relationship at a distance which corresponds to the container width. As a consequence, the speed differentials are increased and result in an undesired relative movement between the containers, the incoming belts and the roller pairs. To prevent the relative movement, it has been proposed to use forced guides at the container underside as well as centrally situated guide rails on which guide rollers mounted on the container roll. Hereby, the contents of the container apply, however, additional transverse forces.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved transport system for advancing containers to obviate prior art shortcomings and to prevent the afore-described relative movement.